The Qilin beast, perhaps five meters long, ripped open its terrifyingly grotesque maw, exhaling a thin stream of air that carried a faint, metallic tang of blood. Yet, from it, He Yiming still caught a whiff of sulfur, signaling to him that this Qilin beast could surely unleash torrents of flame akin to a hellish sea of fire.

Perched upon the Qilin beast sat a middle-aged man.

This man did not appear elderly; his face was rather unremarkable, but his eyes seemed to possess a certain marvelous power—a force capable of communing with all things under heaven and easily establishing discourse with any human or beast.

He Yiming mused inwardly, no wonder Bai Lingba called them a man-beast pairing. Across all of existence, perhaps no title was more apt for this individual.

He offered a slight, cupped-fist salute. "Lord Qilin Sacred Master."

He did not dismount to bow, instead greeting the Qilin Sacred Master from the back of his White Horse Lightning, meeting him as an equal. Having encountered several Human Dao Peak experts lately, He Yiming could now maintain a perfectly even keel when facing masters of this magnitude.

"He Yiming..." The Qilin Sacred Master smiled faintly. "Di Shitian from the Northwest Celestial Pool delivered the plaque inscribed 'Number One Under Heaven' to the He Family Village. I have come this time specifically to see if this 'Number One' claim is truly deserved."

He Yiming couldn't help but chuckle. The very first day that plaque was hung upon the battlements of the He Family Village, he had a premonition that challenges from the world’s mightiest experts were imminent.

However, concerning this, He Yiming felt supremely confident. With the power of his Light and Dark Convergence within him, coupled with his current, formidable control over the Might of Heaven and Earth, he was certain he stood unassailable.

"Lord Sacred Master, this is merely Brother Di Shitian’s excessive praise; it should not be taken seriously." He Yiming waved his hand lightly. While he held no fear of the man before him, neither would he be foolish enough to verbally affirm the title.

The Qilin Sacred Master let out a hearty laugh. "A fine sentiment: 'should not be taken seriously.'" He dropped his smile, his expression turning serious. "Throughout history, there has always been the saying: 'No equal in literature, no second in martial arts.' In the written records of the Eastern and Western Continents, it seems only two predecessors have ever earned the title of Number One Under Heaven. And you..." He studied He Yiming intently. "You are the third."

He Yiming paused, slightly surprised. He knew, of course, that the one achieving the Number One title in the East must have been the Patriarch of Five Elements who founded the Five Elements Sect. But the recipient of the title in the West was unknown to him, as the distant West remained too alien a place for He Yiming's knowledge.

A thought flickered through his mind, and He Yiming spoke gravely, "Lord Sacred Master, were those two predecessors you speak of figures from the Divine Dao Era?"

The Qilin Sacred Master nodded slowly. "Indeed. They were not only figures of the Divine Dao but also individuals universally revered by all cultivators in both our Eastern and Western worlds. They left behind boundless fortunes for subsequent generations of cultivators, making them the greatest figures across all eras of cultivation."

As he spoke these words, his expression was one of profound solemnity, clearly emanating from genuine conviction, devoid of any pretense.

He Yiming felt a flicker of confusion clouding his eyes.

Being Number One Under Heaven certainly warranted respect from all cultivators, but perhaps not to such an exaggerated degree.

Seemingly discerning the doubt in He Yiming’s expression, the Qilin Sacred Master sighed softly. "He Yiming, you likely do not yet know how the Western Heavens and Hell, and the Eastern Realm of Life and Death, came to be."

He Yiming’s face drastically changed, and he exclaimed, "They established the Heavens and Hell and the Realm of Life and Death?"

The Qilin Sacred Master nodded slightly. "What do you think of the legacy they left behind now?"

He Yiming immediately straightened, replying with dignity, "Truly peerless."

Ignoring the earth-shattering impact in the West, the Eastern Realm of Life and Death had benefited countless subsequent Venerables immeasurably. Especially in this current age where the power of Heaven and Earth had greatly waned, without the fundamental comprehension gained from traversing the Realm of Life and Death, the number of Human Dao Peaks and Grand Five Qi Venerables in this world would have diminished by at least half, perhaps even more.

Drawing a deep, cool breath, He Yiming grew intensely curious about the unparalleled, famed Patriarch of Five Elements.

Such divine power—truly worthy of the title Number One Under Heaven.

The Qilin Sacred Master glanced toward the White Horse Lightning, which seemed slightly agitated. "I have long heard rumors that your sacred beast possesses unmatched speed. Seeing it now, the rumors are not exaggerated; even the Qilin beast is merely comparable."

He Yiming smiled proudly, gently patting the neck of White Horse Lightning. The horse turned its head, extended its long tongue, and gave a light lick.

A look of surprise flashed in the Qilin Sacred Master's eyes. He could clearly sense that He Yiming and White Horse Lightning had never undergone the mystical bond ritual that enforces a certain kind of binding connection. Yet, between them existed a formidable level of synchronicity, perhaps even surpassing that of true bonded spirit beasts.

Such an extraordinary phenomenon was astonishing even to him, who governed the entire Totem Clan and had witnessed countless man-beast pairings.

For a human and a spirit beast to achieve such unspoken coordination under normal circumstances—it was something even the figures of the former Divine Dao might not have accomplished.

Lifting his head, He Yiming smiled. "Lord Sacred Master, you haven't traveled all this way merely to test Lightning's speed, have you?"

"Certainly not." The Qilin Sacred Master's demeanor sharpened. "I have come to spar with you, to see who truly deserves the title of Number One Under Heaven."

He Yiming paused, then understood. Di Shitian must not have publicized the matter of the Divine Dao Blood Condensation Human, otherwise, even if the Qilin Sacred Master were dense, he wouldn't have come to challenge him.

His gaze fell upon the Qilin beast, and he asked with a half-smile, "How shall we exchange pointers? A fair 'one-on-one'?"

The Totem Clan's practice of challenging same-tier experts under the pretext of 'Man-Beast Unity' had long drawn widespread criticism from many quarters. Yet, no one had ever managed to alter the Totem Clan’s customary practice.

The Qilin Sacred Master laughed heartily. "He Yiming, I possess a bonded sacred beast; do you not also have Lightning? Let us both compete using the method of Man-Beast Unity."

He Yiming snorted. Though the Qilin Sacred Master phrased it pleasantly, both parties knew the underlying truth.

Although White Horse Lightning had ascended to the rank of a top-tier sacred beast, its ascension had been too recent. It seemed impossible for it to compare to the Qilin beast, which had occupied this tier for hundreds of years.

However, a flicker of mockery instantly crossed He Yiming's eyes. Without hesitation, he agreed, "Since Lord Sacred Master desires it, I, He, shall oblige."

White Horse Lightning let out an excited neigh, its four hooves moving slowly. Within its spirit, a highly combative nature surged. It had thought this fight wouldn't happen, but finding itself able to contend with a master of the same rank in a turn of events, it rejoiced immensely.

A strange sense of foreboding unexpectedly welled up in the Qilin Sacred Master's heart.

His visit this time was certainly partly due to his resentment over the "Number One Under Heaven" plaque displayed at the He Family Village. But another objective was to deflate He Yiming's prestige, repaying the offense of He Yiming slaying the Rat Clan Elder before He Yiming journeyed to the Totem Clan mountains.

However, he had already learned the specifics of He Yiming’s background from rumors circulating in the Eastern world. He was keenly aware that He Yiming had mastered the Western power of Light and Dark Convergence.

Facing this legendary, supreme power, the Qilin Sacred Master held no certainty of victory, which was precisely why he proposed the "one-on-one" format.

Because he was certain that his Qilin beast was absolutely more powerful than the opposing White Horse Lightning.

The cultivation paths of sacred beasts differed from humans; theirs relied mostly on the long, gradual accumulation of time. Therefore, the might possessed by the Qilin beast, having advanced hundreds of years earlier, certainly could not be matched by the newly advanced White Horse Lightning.

When proposing this condition, the Qilin Sacred Master was prepared for He Yiming to object. But unexpectedly, He Yiming accepted the terms calmly, which in turn caused a faint sense of unease to rise within him.

Because he absolutely refused to believe that He Yiming was unaware of the inherent gap in their capabilities. Moreover, that lively White Horse Lightning was causing him secret consternation.

"Baozhu, you go first," He Yiming lightly patted Baozhu, instructing, "This battle might take a while; you go play slowly."

Baozhu stretched its snout and nudged He Yiming in dissatisfaction.

The Qilin Sacred Master frowned slightly, muttering inwardly that this youth was indeed arrogant. He snorted lightly. "Baozhu, come here."

Baozhu stuck its head out from He Yiming's embrace, grunted a few times without hesitation, and then shook its little head like a rattle drum.

He Yiming was greatly surprised, then immediately understood. Baozhu’s ancestor was the Dragon Lord, a sacred figure of the Totem Clan. For some unknown reason, the Dragon Lord had entrusted Baozhu to Di Shitian. It was therefore not surprising that it might know the Qilin Sacred Master.

"Baozhu, you should leave now," the Qilin Sacred Master said, not angrily, but gently. "Our exchange will merely be a spar of martial skills; we won't be seeking to kill each other."

He Yiming chuckled a few times. He understood the man’s intention: to lure Baozhu away, otherwise, it would be difficult for both sides to fully exert themselves in the fight.

However, no matter how they persuaded or cajoled, Baozhu stubbornly refused to leave.

Both White Horse Lightning and the Qilin beast were top-tier sacred beasts, and He Yiming and the Qilin Sacred Master were the foremost Human Dao Peaks of the current age. Yet, when Baozhu refused to move, they both felt a sense of helplessness.

Suddenly, a sound of air being ripped apart echoed from the sky. Bai Lingba had appeared at some unknown time and descended.

The Qilin Sacred Master’s eyes narrowed sharply. He was greatly alarmed. Who was this person? How was it that even he and the Qilin beast had failed to detect his approach?

Furthermore, this person emitted no trace of life aura whatsoever, which only deepened his profound shock.

Ps: The end of the month is approaching, and it seems I haven't asked for monthly votes in a while. I looked today and saw only a little over three thousand. sweat... If you don't ask, you don't get votes. White Crane has still been working very hard this month, but the data looks terrible. Brothers and sisters, if you have any votes left, please cast one. Thank you... Next month is October, and there might be double votes. White Crane will try his best in the first seven days ^_^